Iraq, US to sign military handover pact on Thursday

BAGHDAD: Iraq and the US military will sign Thursday a delayed accord under which coalition forces will hand command of Iraqi armed forces to the government, a spokesman for Iraq's prime minister said.        

"The accord will be signed tomorrow in the presence of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and General George Casey," the head of the coalition forces in Iraq, Ali al-Dabaqh said.            

The agreement was initially to be signed on Saturday, but the handover ceremony was abruptly cancelled after disagreements on the Iraqi side over who should sign the handover on the government's behalf.   

Dabaqh said Maliki will name a senior official to sign the agreement, but did not reveal who this would be. The accord means setting up an Iraqi joint military command for the army, navy and air force, which will gradually take full operational control of Iraq's armed forces, including 115,000 US-trained ground troops.       

Currently, Casey has operational command of Iraqi units.